On the Air: The Story of Radio Broadcasting (1944)

you coming to us out of the sky the one your voice of radio brings endless hours of entertainment information and Cheer in every home it's magic moments are an indispensable for daily life the setting of one dial brings music another the morning's news bulletins a housewife turns to shopping him another makes notes of a new recipe a man gets the day's market trends or latest sports reports or the shelling smiles and relaxes to that morning word of cheer behind the scenes a vast and skilled organization and intricate technical apparatus produce the miracle of words and music coming to us through the air but the entertaining hours of radio have nothin with us always back in nineteen twenty in a dimly lighted room over his garage dr. Frank Conrad built and operated the first experimental broadcasting transmitter here radio broadcasting was born this brilliant Westinghouse scientists had no intention of going into the broadcasting business as he sent phonograph music over the air he was working on the wireless telephone but these first whispers of the voice of radio were not unheard as they were broadcast by dr. Conrad a surprising number of letters were received from unsuspected listeners also pioneers who had improvised primitive crystal sets the world's first radio audience was in the Mickey I can't understand what that boy does with all his time fooling with wires and that's everything on his head mom dad come quick dad quick listen there's music on the air well if that don't beat that any idea where it's coming from son when Wilkinsburg just outside of Pittsburgh I Westinghouse engineer by the name of Conrad ascending you isn't it swell boy well I have something to tell the fellas tomorrow encouraged by the interest witches experiments had awakened among his unseen audience dr. Conrad expanded his work in the little laboratory over the groc one night in the basement of a Pittsburgh department store a clerk was listen more people knew about these programs perhaps it'd be more wireless part so that's an idea the result of that idea was the first newspaper advertisement to promote the sale of wireless parts and from that advertisement one man caught a vision that man was HP Davis vice president of Westinghouse soon to be known as the father of radio broadcasting and we are agreed gentlemen that the possibilities of wireless go far beyond its use in private communication that we will establish a system of mass communication with regular programs in the public interest news weather report music speeches all manner of entertainment we will send over the air we will establish a great new public institution will call it broadcasting a bold and pioneering decision at work and the result was immediate action in less than one month radio station KDKA was on the air bringing to a few hundred people practically all of whom had built their own receiving sets the world's first scheduled broadcast we are bringing you early election returns Dossett landing states give a substantial lead to warren harding / james cops almost overnight radio graduated from a hobby to a national institute receivers with tubes began to replace the homemade crystal set and when there weren't enough earphones to go around mother's mixing bowl came in handy as a loudspeaker yes regular programs did create a widespread desire for radio sex so much so in fact that manufacturers couldn't meet demand people began to expect interesting programs on the air radio broadcasting became an industry which kept pace with the trend of the time westinghouse pioneered this growth of radio beginning with the first broadcasting station KDKA as more service through radio became practical Westinghouse at another station WBZ Boston KYW Philadelphia WBZ a Springfield wo wo Fort Wayne ke x 40 WBO s international shortwave station at Boston broadcasting swept the country until by the middle 20s over 500 stations crowded the radio map everywhere the voice of radio began to fill the air in the city on the farm in school Country Store city workshops and offs and even automobile bringing entertainment news and culture to all who care to listen in the early days of broadcasting few people realized what a fine art radio was to become or what an influence it was destined to wield upon mankind with the inception of broadcasting as an industry the enormous cost of keeping entertaining and informative programs on the air presented a problem or there was no income then one day someone realized that radio had great value as an advertising media station operators learned they could sell time on the air to commercial companies who in turn sponsored fine programs of various kinds to advertise their products to those who listen business turned to radio because people listened and bought little things and big things all the things people need and need to know about before they buy increase sales also brought lower prices along with more work and more wages thus the service of radio to our economic life was developed today there are more than 1,000 radio stations broadcasting in the same either but there are only a limited number of frequencies or pathway through the air to carry all these programs to keep them from interfering with each other the government groups all radio stations into certain classifications KDKA in Pittsburgh for example is assigned a frequency for its exclusive you it is also allowed maximum power and unlimited radiation in all directions so that its programs may reach rural and even national audiences wo wo Fort Wayne shares its frequency or its location on your radio dial with one other station at a distant location achieving wide coverage free of interference in its own section of the country other types of stations such as kex portland provide concentrated coverage of a single city or local area in certain cases to provide better coverage of the service area or to avoid interference a special kind of directional antenna issue in the case of WBZ Boston the radio beams are focused inland as well as up and down the coastline to prevent much of its power being lost at sea and at KYW in Philadelphia still another kind of pattern covers the surface area the radiation is directed in this manner still other programs are beamed to the far corners of the earth by shortwave broadcast this type of service had its start with the issuing of the first shortwave broadcast license to Westinghouse in 1922 with its unique system of directional antenna a wpos of Boston for example can direct its powerful shortwave voice as desire transmitted immune system unsecure desde la estación radio telefonica doble de vos SI tratta in boston centro de las emociones interminable international radio central OU qui en Negreanu suites KU sugan the voice of radio eliminating the barriers that for countless centuries have inhibited man's communication with man now suppose we see what goes on inside a modern broadcasting station and how a program is created to keep the great flow of programs continually on the error requires a complex structure and skilled organization the average station broadcasts about 19 hours each day from before dawn until after midnight and every minute of that time there must be some program going out to the unseen audience dramatic and variety programs must be created more adapted to radio for these programs performers must be carefully selected and the program is rehearsed over it over the dialogue must be smooth the pace right dramatic Peaks or laughs properly spaced and the whole thing time to the split second for there's no second chance in ready special or arranged music has to be rehearsed timed and fitted to the theme and action of each dramatic or variety program sound effects also play an important role in radio and are worked out to convey a sense of realism to the listening audience let's see how this is done say mr. sound man how would you get a big crowd into the studio and a hurry oh that's too easy now how about those sinister footsteps we always here when the radio villain comes to do his dastardly deed that gives me the chills have you got a good storm up your sleeve to go with it what a night for a murder better get the hero indoors well get going now how about an ice crackling fire in the fireplace wonder of that villain is still out on the stairs we'd better call in some help well we didn't need all those policemen all I get it but suppose we'd rather have the Lone Ranger come galloping to the rescue how would you get him on the job say you sound effects men are a bunch of fakers but wait a minute supposing the story calls for the sound of breaking glass what would you do about that well well stumped you at last you can imitate storms and galloping horses but you can't imitate a simple sound like hey look out well I asked what putting a studio program on the air requires perfect coordination of actors production staff and studio technicians a switch is flipped a dial is turned and on the exact second the show is on the air during rehearsals this show was tailored and trimmed to fit exactly within the allotted time and it's up to the production staff to see that this schedule is maintained and you the audience for whom this show was written rehearsed in broadcast will vote for or against it by tuning the program in or switching it off while some programs may require weeks of preparations others must be prepared in a matter of seconds in rooms like this news pours in from the far reaches of the globe over great worldwide news services come bulletins flashes follow-up stories from everywhere news that is carefully edited to bulletin form so that it reaches its audience quickly and concisely here is a new form of journalism that radio itself has created history in the making brought to the ears of a nation in the shortest possible time the ringing Bell Carol's an important news flash if it is important enough the regular program will be interrupted we interrupt this program to bring you a special bulletin from the emergency flood control headquarters floodwaters have reached a new high in the southern area all families are advised thus the radio listener is never more than a few seconds removed from the news as it happens service such as this is only a part of radio station activity network programs may originate in New York Pittsburgh Hollywood or any way or they may be on the spot broadcasts where great events are in the making such programs are received / special wires and are handled at this master control desk which is the nerve center of the radio station to put any radio program on the air requires far more than just the familiar microphone suppose we step behind the scenes and see just how this is done the microphone responds to the vibrations of sound waves that strike converting those vibrations into similar vibrations of electrical energy called and audio wait this wave travels over wires to the studio control group where if we could see it it might look something like this not yet strong enough to do its job it is amplified or strengthened until it is this size but it still has a long way to go before reaching your home radio so let's follow this wave on its amazing journey leaving the studio building it travels perhaps many miles over wires that are specially designed so that none of its tone frequencies or vibrations will be lost though some of its power will be gone when it finally reaches the transmitting station which is generally located away from the city where there are better transmitted conditions and ample space for the towel ring antenna now let's get back to our audio wave it has just arrived from the studio and get to re-strengthen until it looks something like this then moving along to another amplifier it passes through and comes out like this once more amplified it is not powerful enough but it is not the right kind of wave to travel over the air so over here in what is known as a crystal oscillator another wave is generated a high-speed wave having millions of vibrations per second it would look something like this if we could see it this wave however also must be strengthened so on it goes into other amplifiers where it comes out a strong far-reaching carrier wave capable of transporting a program round the world in a seventh of a second this wave is ready for the air except for one thing it has no program on you wouldn't hear anything if we were to broadcast just a plain carrier wave so we go back and pick up the audio wave that we left a moment ago and we use this to control the strength of the carrier wave we are now modulating that carrier wave the combination looks something like this it is now a complete radio way and through these wires it goes to the antenna tower up up up to where it is hurled out into space with the speed of life now our program actually is on the air when you tune your radio to the same frequency as the transmitters carrier wave your loudspeaker will give a true reproduction of the studio program and today on radios elaborate bill of fare there are programs to fit every desire and need the inspiration of religious services once found by church wall great opera music once the privilege of only the fortunate few the progress of science once revealed only to the limited memberships of technical society championship sports great events that shaped the course of history as they happen the whole panorama of luck and the world today presented for the enlightenment and pleasure of every year yes history of radio is brief and new patterns of service many of them born of wartime research are in the making your new home receiver with its new developments and improvements is your link with radio broadcasting the finest in entertainment muse and culture the best the world can provide television the miracle of broadcasting both voice and picture through the air is assured in research and planning departments many new creations of radio are being made ready for the benefit of the best radio audience because of the peculiar characteristics of the high frequency waves which carry television at FM their range of broadcast is limited to visual distance only to procure broader coverage it is necessary to locate such stations at the highest possible location to carry these new type programs for long distances and to approach the coverage now available through standard broadcasts it is necessary to install many relay or booster stations also located at high location such multiple relay however presents distortion problems and losses as a great contribution to the faithful reception of these services Westinghouse engineers have developed a system for broadcasting frequency modulation and television called strata vision this provides for several large airborne broadcast stations flying at a height of six miles above the earth by this system each plane would be equipped with several television and frequency modulation broadcasting transmitters providing for greater and more faithful reproduction a number of these strata vision planes will bring the finest of television and FM programs to the vast majority of America yes radio broadcasting has come a long way since the days of dr. Connolly as each radio day brings information entertainment and education into your home science continues to reach into the future planning and developing new services that will make your home the center of the universe so that the whole wide world of pictures colors and sounds will be as close to you as you're ready you